WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to Beijing for talks in the coming weeks, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday (Jun 6), amid simmering tensions months after he cancelled a planned trip over a suspected Chinese spy balloon.
Blinken cancelled a trip to Beijing in February after the United States said it spotted a surveillance balloon from China over the US.
The balloon was eventually shot down by a US military fighter aircraft shot down as it floated off the coast of South Carolina.
The US’ top diplomat said he had told Wang Yi, director of China’s Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, that the incident on the eve of his trip was an “irresponsible act” by China, but Washington remained committed to engagement and he would visit when conditions allowed.
In May, he said he was hopeful he could reschedule a visit to China this year.
“I think it’s important … that we re-establish regular lines of communication at all levels and across our government,” he said in an interview with the Washington Post.